1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image output apparatus, and in particular, relates to an image output apparatus for sequentially arranging and outputting a plurality of images on a single sheet or a single screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a document output apparatus for reducing a plurality of document pages and arranging and outputting the plurality of reduced document pages on a single sheet of paper is known.
A document output apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-339279 sets the reduction ratio of an image so as not to be less than a predetermined uniform size as a result of the reduction of the smallest size characters contained in a document. At the set reduction ratio, image data, i.e., a page, is reduced and a layout is selected such that the maximum number of reduced pages can be arranged on a single sheet of paper. For a layout, the number of reduced pages to be arranged on a single sheet of paper is, for example, 2 to 9, and an appropriate number is selected from among these.
According to this conventional document output apparatus, a case where characters are too small to see due to the reduction is solved. In addition, this document output apparatus applies a set reduction ratio to all pages, so that it can output a document in a presentable manner.
In a conventional document output apparatus, a character size does not become too small even if a page is reduced and output, and thus, the effect of making documents readable is provided. However, the number of sheets to be printed may not be reduced.
More specifically, in the prior art, the demand that the printing cost be reduced by reducing the quantity to be printed while maintaining a readable character size on documents at a minimal level could not be realized.